Sam Elliott is sorry for his weird Power of the Dog rant. This past Sunday, the actor apologized for the sexist and homophobic remarks he made while on the podcast WTF with Marc Maron about Jane Campion’s Netflix western.
“That movie struck a chord with me, and in trying to tell [Maron] how I felt about the film, I wasn’t very articulate about it,” Elliott said while on stage with his fellow castmates from the Paramount series 1883. “I didn’t articulate it very well. And I said some things that hurt people and I feel terrible about that.”
Elliott’s comments this week were the first since he caused a stir in March by lambasting Campion’s work, which was about repressed sexuality on the American frontier. He called the film a “piece of shit,” and took issue with its “allusions to homosexuality.” The actor, whose career has been defined by his cowboy roles, also specifically targeted Campion: “What the fuck does this woman — she’s a brilliant director by the way, I love her work, previous work — but what the fuck does this woman from down there, New Zealand, know about the American west?” he said on the podcast.
In his apology on Sunday, Elliott alluded specifically to the homophobia of his comments. “The gay community has been incredible to me my entire career, and I mean my entire career, from before I got started in this town,” he said. “Friends on every level and every job description up until today with my agent — my dear friend — my agent of a number of years. I’m sorry that I hurt any of those friends and someone that I loved, and anyone else by the words that I used.”
Speaking slowly and ostensibly remorsefully, he also referred to Campion and Cumberbatch specifically, both of whom expressed dismay about Elliott’s remarks (Campion said Elliott “was being a little bit of a b-i-t-c-h” who had “hit the trifecta of misogyny and xenophobia and homophobia”).
“I told [Maron] that I thought Jane Campion was a brilliant director, and I want to apologize to the cast of The Power of the Dog, brilliant actors all,” Elliott said. “And in particular Benedict Cumberbatch. I can only say that I’m sorry and I am. I am.”
